The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

. Tonight I will roost the chicks wih the cockerel and tomorrow it shoud stop.

Can you elaborate on that? Is that a separate coop/room, or will you just place the chicks on the roost next to the cockerel? (Sorry, I'm a bit dense..still sick so I may be missing something obvious.)

 

[lalaland]

aoxa, sorry to hear about carlton. my partner, Sue, had to put down her dog today - its a tough day.

 

[Bulldogma]

aoxa, sorry to hear about carlton. my partner, Sue, had to put down her dog today - its a tough day.

So sorry for your partner's loss! Must be something about the time of the full moon - weird stuff is happening with critters.

Stony - good advice on the rat / weasel / mink issue.

 

[stonykill]

So sorry for your partner's loss! Must be something about the time of the full moon - weird stuff is happening with critters.

Stony - good advice on the rat / weasel / mink issue.

thanks. I saw we lived in the same state, finger lakes of course has a lot of water and associated creatures......

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Mumsy & Delisha.....

You both seem to have a lot of knowledge about herbs & their benefits. Do you have a website or list of what we can feed the hens and what the benefits are? I would love to fill my garden this spring with herbs that will benefit my hens.

I know about garlic, cayene pepper and orgeano. I add those to my FF already.

Also one more question for Mumsy..... I bought my hens romaine hearts lettuce as you said yours loved it. Well mine do to. Do you know if this can be grown in my zone? I think its zone 5? western NY. I can get regular lettuce & mixed green lettuce to plant for them but dont think I have seen romaine

Thank you
Jenn

You can get romaine lettuce seed (heritage so it is not sterile and will reseed...I'll have to dig out a link for you where to buy etc.) It should grow in your zone, it's a hardy cool weather lettuce. Along with kale, cabbage & brocholi. My chickens LOVE all of the above and the problem is keeping them out of it until it's grown and established. I was supposed to have a great fall winter garden, but the little snots discovered all my young plants and ....well...I guess you would say we got the vegies back in the eggs. I had put a frost blanket over the box that the plants were in to keep them from devistating them too much, but they discovered how to get under the frost blanket one day while free ranging unattended. Romaine will also grow through the summer, but you might need to move it into the shade depending on how hot it gets where you are. I still have a few romaine starts that they missed. You can start it inside, but I would rather direct sow. The seeds are so tiny. I usually let one plant bolt and collect the seed in a brown paper sack and then reseed from that. We did get one salad before "THEY" got into it EDIT: I found the link..http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/.. nice thing is all their seeds are heirloom and will reseed, so they are self sustaining...lots of interesting seed types

 

[Melabella]

: I found the link..http://www.mypatriotsupply.com/.. nice thing is all their seeds are heirloom and will reseed, so they are self sustaining...lots of interesting seed types

Thank for this link.. great stuff!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Quote: I bought one of their seed vaults and we barely made a dent in it this year, there's enough for five more years of planting not counting the reseeding. The can it comes in is perfect for storing in the freezer or where ever. I did buy extra individual pkgs of a couple of things and have been very happy with the results.

 

[Melabella]

Off topic I know, but couldn't we all use a nice place to park our lawn mower? Think of all the chickens this barn could hold! PeepsCA,, your guineas would love to roost up there!

 

[lalaland]

ok, that barn blows me away. Chickens, heck, I'ld live in there!

BD, thanks.

I just had the weirdest egg experience ever. Cracked open an egg, couldn't have been more than a week old, noticed the shell went easy and the yolk was broken before I opened it, and yuck!!!! the air sac had green mold in it! Had to throw everything out in the pan and start over. Anyone ever seen that before?

 

[Leahs Mom]

ok, that barn blows me away. Chickens, heck, I'ld live in there!

BD, thanks.

I just had the weirdest egg experience ever. Cracked open an egg, couldn't have been more than a week old, noticed the shell went easy and the yolk was broken before I opened it, and yuck!!!! the air sac had green mold in it! Had to throw everything out in the pan and start over. Anyone ever seen that before?

Could it possibly have been frozen then thawed?